"Xander,
how many times have I told you that magic is not something to played
with?" The watcher removed his
glasses, rubbing them furiously while he stared at the boy.
"Well...never,
actually." Xander answered, and
then silently cursed his smart mouth at the watchers glare.
"Because
I thought that you were mature enough to work it out for yourself!"
"I'm
sorry..." He muttered and looked
over to Cordy.
"I'm
not gonna help you buster, you are so on your own. God, even I know you shouldn't read from one of Giles' magic
books!" Cordy snapped at him, but
her eyes softened and she squeezed his hand.
Xander
was torn. Although he was sad Buffy was
a kitten, Cordy had come back to him...and that made him happy...but Buffy was
a kitten, and that was his fault - and that was bad, but Cordy-
"Xander! The least you could do is to stop
daydreaming and actually HELP!"
Willow chastised, breaking him from his perpetual thoughts.
His eyes
snapped up, "Sorry Wills..." And
he picked up another book as the clock struck five in the morning.
---
The
vampire rolled his shoulders back, yawning as he stretched. The sun was coming up and even though he was
healing his body ached, simply from being awake.
Placing
the necklace on the dresser he lay back down, closing his eyes as his vampiric
body demanded he sleep.
The
kitten meowed at the loss of attention, nipping at his fingers.
Spike
sighed, lifting the kitten up and resting her on his chest. He absently continued stroking her, smiling
at her purrs, saddened that it had been so long since he'd heard such a sound
from a different female.
With that
depressing thought he fell asleep, his hands never ceasing their motions.
---
"Ugh!" Willow rolled her neck, wincing at the crick
in her back as she rose off the pile of books in front of her. She glanced at the clock - nearly eight.
She
stared down at the book in front of her, the words jumbled then reformed as she
woke up. It took a while for her mind
to catch up with her eyes. Then she
smiles..."I found it!" She
whispered.
"Guys..wake
up..." She nudged Xander with her
foot who grumbled in his sleep but didn't wake. "WAKE UP!!! I found
something."
The group
jumped to attention, both by the revelation and the witch's tone.
"It
says here that for animal transformations the caster has to cast the spell back
wards, whilst s-standing on his head."
She smiled, and then giggled at the thought.
"What? I don't believe you.." Xander muttered at the cheeky look on Willow's
face, he made a grab for the book but she held it away from him.
"Oh,
just do it Xander!" Cordy cried
exasperated, she was tired, her feet hurt and she really wanted smoochies!
"Fine." Xander muttered.
Twenty
minutes later, Giles had managed to suspend Xander in the air so that he was
standing on his head. And the watcher
stifled his own giggles at the picture the boy made.
"Okay
Xander, you just have to say this backwards -" Giles, indicated the spell.
"You
guys have to forgive me after this."
Xander murmured as a prerequisite.
"I
think after-"
"Chill
G-Man! Okay, etib..hthiw..gnih-temos
otni...erut-ae-rc...are you guys serious?"
"Yes!" Came the collective exasperated shout from
the room.
"Fine,
okay! Siht...th-gin yb...lammam...yad
yb lammam!" A whirl of smoke
erupted around Xander, releasing his restraints.
He fell
to the floor and Cordy rushed forward, "God Xander, couldn't you have
landed a bit-"
"Sorry
Cordy..." Xander cut across
derisively, rubbing his sore back.
"Okay,
someone tell me that means it worked."
"Should
have done...we just have to wait for Buffy to come back."
"Yeah,
and kick my ass."
"Which
is no more than you deserve."
Giles put in and Xander looked sheepishly to the floor.
"Guess
we wait."
The gang sat
in silence for a few moments before Xander spoke again, "So..did I really
have to do that thing upside down?"
The group
looked at him, then each other and burst out laughing.
"Of
course, Xander." Giles nodded,
very properly then burst out laughing.